13 Reasons Your Law Firm’s Social Media Engagement is Suffering

How is it that you can post to social media so often with seemingly well-written content but people just aren’t engaging with it? Law firms, big and small, want more engagement around their social media posts but don’t know what else to do or are stuck in the same old strategy. Furthermore, social media algorithms are tough to maneuver given that they’re always being tweaked. If you’re looking for an explanation as to why your law firm’s social media engagement is not performing as well as you’d expect, here are 13 possible explanations.

1. You’re managing too many accounts

There are so many platforms available today, it can be tempting to try to be present everywhere. But not all social media platforms are ideal for all industries, and there’s only so much time in a day. Concentrate on the channels that are best for your law firm. It all comes down to where your target audience “hangs out.”

2. You’re automating posts across platforms

There are a lot of helpful and convenient tools that can help you to schedule posts on social, including HubSpot’s social media software. There are definitely advantages to doing so, but sometimes that can hurt engagement. Take time to customize posts when needed – for example, focusing on great images for Instagram and thought leadership posts for LinkedIn.

3. You don’t optimize content

Similar to the point above, if you want engagement, take the time to tweak content so that it performs best on unique platforms. For example, on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, add hashtags. On Facebook and Instagram, share behind-the-scenes content and showcase your community involvement and diversity. These platforms are typically used to help law firms recruit top talent. Reserve more thought leadership type content for LinkedIn.

4. Messages or comments don’t get replies

In today’s digital era, many people use social media to reach out to firms and businesses. It’s important to address these efforts in a timely fashion. Along those lines, don’t ignore negative feedback. Address it politely and transparently, as soon as possible. Make a point to have someone consistently monitoring social accounts for this purpose.

5. Followers are purchased

It doesn’t matter how large your law firm’s following on social media is, if they don’t engage with you. Real and relevant followers are more likely to be interested in what you have to say. We believe that buying followers is typically a waste of money.

6. There’s no call-to-action (CTA)

Your social media followers won’t perform an action if they don’t know what to do. Simple CTAs should be included in your posts and/or the post creative. “Register for next week’s webinar” or “download our whitepaper for more insights” can lead to next steps. 

7. Targeting for advertising isn’t specific

In the event that you’re spending money on paid social media advertising, you need to take advantage of the tools that allow marketers to hyper-target their audience. Targeting is essential for achieving ROI on these programs, and you need to pay attention to analytics and statistics so that you know what’s working and what’s not. 

8. You haven’t figured out the right schedule

When posting on social, you need to be strategic about what you post, as well as when. Make sure not to post too rarely or too frequently. Additionally, you want to learn the best times to reach people, and post at those times. It’s simple to try out different times and then gain insights from the results. 

9. Your law firm’s social media accounts are not properly promoted

Let people know which social media platforms you can be found on. Post links to your accounts on your website, promotional materials, and on each social media page. Have employees post links to accounts on their LinkedIn pages as well. 

Related: How Law Firms Can Use Social Media to Increase Employee Engagement and Advocacy

10. You don’t blog

Blog content is essential for search engine optimization (SEO), but it’s also helpful for generating a following on LinkedIn and other channels. People will engage with your content if they find it valuable. Therefore, posting blogs across your social media accounts is a great way to increase traffic to your website and provide helpful information to your audience, which will keep them coming back. 

11. You don’t mix up your content

Social media posts can go beyond text and images. Videos are great for engagement and infographics, slideshows, and GIFs are also popular options. The important thing is to change up what you post, making sure to optimize each type. 

12. You haven’t credited others for content

Leveraging user-generated content is a smart strategy. However, to build engagement, you need to be sure you credit those individuals who post. If you link to other articles or content, be sure to tag the author and mention sources. This will make people happy, build relationships, and create a larger reach for your accounts. 

13. Content is simply not engaging

If you’ve reviewed the other items on this list and still feel like you’re coming up short, it may be time to re-evaluate what you post. Perhaps it’s just not interesting to your audience. There’s a lot of noise on social media – does your content stand out or blend in? It might be time to brush up on some tips for great social media writing.

Takeaway

There are many reasons why your law firm might not be experiencing the engagement that you want, or that you once were. You need to cultivate an active following, not just a large one. Doing so will increase your credibility in your space as well as bring in more digital traffic that can be nurtured into leads.

Do you need help driving real business results through social media? Our social media offerings can be customized to your law firm’s needs and realities. In addition to social media management, we offer social media consulting and training for our clients. Contact us today for a free consultation.